jturie
Well-Known Member
I'm going to have a free evening next week in downtown Boston, staying at the Hyatt Regency. Any recommendations on a brewpub or a bar with a great beer selection?
Boston Brewpubs or Bars
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Boston beer works right near the garden,Harpoon brewery is cool to visit too.
devilishprune
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Not really in downtown Boston (as far as I know), but Sunset Grill and Tap is probably the best bar I have ever been to in my life. They have like 120+ beers on tap, and most all of them are actually something you would want to get.
soxpats
Active Member
+1 on this. great places... there's also a store right there called Publick House Provisions that carriers a wide range of craft beers that can be hard to find anywhere else, perfect to take something unique back to the hotel. They are all directly off the Washington Sq stop on the Green C line
unfortunately, they just closed this winter
Cambridge Brewing Company has some great beers, and its one of the oldest brewpubs in the area.
http://www.cambridgebrewing.com/
If you're trying to save some cash, you can take the red line to Kendall Square, then take a taxi from there.
Bob
http://www.cambridgebrewing.com/
If you're trying to save some cash, you can take the red line to Kendall Square, then take a taxi from there.
Bob
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If you like German food and beer, You could try Jacob Wirth's. It's pretty close to the Hyatt. If your looking for a large variety of beer, Sunset grill is a good place. Just a quick cab ride away. There's so many places to go in town. Google Sunset Grill Boston, you can see there beer menu.
bovineblitz
Well-Known Member
I suggest CBC for sure, it's awesome. A huge bonus is a 3 minute walk away is Lord Hobo, my favorite beer bar of all time. CBC (Cambridge Brewing Company) is great all around with great burgers and higher end food for good prices. Lord Hobo is a gastro pub that does mainly high end food, and is really tasty. Another great place in Cambridge is Cambridge Common, but that's in Porter Square which is a small trek (2 stops on the T away and a few minutes walking on each side). CBC has 4 standard beers and 4-6 specialties at any given time, Hobo has about 40 beers on tap (lots of west coast, belgian, and high end stuff), and Cambridge Common has about 30 (Ithaca Flower Power is ALWAYS on tap which makes me very happy). I go to Hobo and CBC all the time cuz it's a 5min walk from me, they're honestly the two best places to drink that I've ever experienced. There's some other good bars around like Thirsty Scholar and Bukowski's (which is only good mon-fri cuz you can get a $2 burger with fries and toppings for a dollar each, the beer list is quite good but slightly overpriced) but they're a little less accessible as far as getting to them via public transit goes.
In Brighton/Allston you have Sunset which is a great place for beer (100+ taps, amazing bottles, great stuff) and food (~$10 burgers, awesome mexican stuff especially the chicken chimichanga, overall great semi-greasy pub food). Publick House is one of the best beer bars in the country and has a belgian beer list and a regular list, usually around 15 of each. Food is awesome but a little pricier and it gets REALLY crowded unfortunately. Deep Ellum is a great place with awesome German pretzels and ~15-20 beers on tap, usually stuff you literally can't find anywhere else, a lot of imports. I like all these places but mostly find myself at Sunset and sometimes Deep Ellum.
In downtown, good luck. I've never had good experiences, most of the taps are Guinness, Smithwicks, Boston Lager, Sam Adams Seasonal, and macro swill at every single bar... and I've had issues with off flavors quite often. I highly recommend everything listed above.
For dinner/drinking after, I'd suggest CBC for dinner then Hobo for more drinks/appetizers for the walking route in Cambridge or even possibly Cambridge Common for dinner then a quick T ride and short walk to CBC and Hobo. For the Allston/Brighton area Deep Ellum and Sunset aren't far apart so I'd suggest Deep Ellum first for dinner if you want higher end food and Sunset if you want "drink with your buddies and grab dinner" food that's really tasty. Another option in Brighton is Publick House/American Craft, both of which are under the same ownership and on the same block. I haven't been to American Craft yet mainly because the food menu looks so overpriced to me and it's not worth traveling there for me just for beer, I hear it's good though.
I'm pretty sure every place has a website so check them out. Definitely hit up at least one of these areas. I've lived in walking distance to both and they're both fantastic. I like the Cambridge area a little more. One thing to note, if you're taking the T it's actually much faster to use the red line (cambridge) than the green line (you'd be using the B line to get to Sunset and the C line to get to Publick House). The green line stops a million times cuz it's above ground most of the time, the red line is underground and much faster. Since you're at the Regency, you can either take a decent walk to CBC or walk to the green line... travel time seems about the same. I'd be more inclined to do CBC/Hobo, personally.
Oh yeah, across the street from Sunset is Blanchard's, a great liquor store with a huuuge beer selection.
OP
OP
jturie
Well-Known Member
Fantastic suggestions. Thanks everyone! That should keep me busy! I didnt' mention this, but I will have a rental car because I need to spend part of the day at my corp HQ in Wakefield. I don't want to drive in the city because Boston driving is more of an art than a science (come to think of it-that's a good description of MA drivers in general 
)...and I will be imbibing.
)...and I will be imbibing.
michaeltrego
Well-Known Member
+1 Lord Hobo, CBC, Bukowski
beerchemist
Well-Known Member
If your free night is Thursday, then make it Lord Hobo:
http://beeradvocate.com/events/info/41876
Event Details:
We'll be kicking off the Extreme Beer Fest @ Lord Hobo w/ BeerAdvocate and Dogfish Head in the house. Join the Alström Bros, Sam Calagione and others for an evening of good beers and company. There will be plenty of Dogfish Head brews flowing, plus offerings from others.
No cover. Pay as you consume.
Deep Ellum is a personal favorite, but that's mostly because I live on that bus line.
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jturie
Well-Known Member
Looks like I'm going to do the CBC/Hobo run. I live near Victory, who has done collaborations with CBC, so it would be fun to close the loop. Unfortunately, my free night is Tuesday, so I can't hang out with Sammy and company. I'm sure the place will be dead that night.....
abracadabra4
Member
Wow of all the great Boston/Area bars mentioned, no one mentioned John Harvard's in Harvard Square right off the Red Line. They are a brew pub and have 4-5 yearly beers on tap with about 1-2 seasonals.
CLICKY
Their Beer
CLICKY
Their Beer
You ahve to go to Publick house in Brookline as others have mentioned. They have maybe 30-35 beers on tap of all styles including a disproportionate number of Belgian beers.
And as for food, Publick is better than all other beer bars near Boston. It has absolutely the best mac and cheese. It'll run you between $15 and $20 but its totally worth it. This alone is enough to motivate my wife to trek out to Brookline from Cambridge (she doesn't drink).
Its also a funky, low-key atmosphere.
And as for food, Publick is better than all other beer bars near Boston. It has absolutely the best mac and cheese. It'll run you between $15 and $20 but its totally worth it. This alone is enough to motivate my wife to trek out to Brookline from Cambridge (she doesn't drink).
Its also a funky, low-key atmosphere.
FensterBos
Well-Known Member
Is that event sold out? Or do I just show up?
bovineblitz
Well-Known Member
Given his starting location it's actually kind of a big pain to get to Publick House. My experiences there have always been good though I wouldn't call it low key because it's always overcrowded. It's amazing if you're really into belgians for sure but I rarely head over there anymore.
bovineblitz
Well-Known Member
You serious? The food is fantastic at Hobo. I've had everything from appetizers to the burger to the entrees and I've been impressed every time. It's kind of a foodie place so if you don't like fancy food I guess you wouldn't like it, I wouldn't bring my parents there for that reason. Not many bars I've been to offer things like duck confit, pork belly, arctic char, and pork cheeks. The calamari and chicken lollipops are soooo good, and all versions of fries are amazing (esp the truffle fries).
I know there are those who disagree with me. But check out yelp - there are extreme variations in opinions about Hobo's. I concur with those who do not like their food. I know Hobo's tries. They have what sound like really great dishes. I am extremely adventurous and I tried both waiter suggestions as well as a couple of specials the night I went there. I left feeling very disappointed in the food.
Don't get me wrong... I LOVED the beer selection at Hobo's.
But if I want good food I go to Hungry Mother. I went to a BA beer dinner at Hungry Mother a few months ago. Now that was absolutely perfect.
Don't get me wrong... I LOVED the beer selection at Hobo's.
But if I want good food I go to Hungry Mother. I went to a BA beer dinner at Hungry Mother a few months ago. Now that was absolutely perfect.
If you do the walking tour, which I think is cool, I think you pass the Bull & Finch. This basement bar was the inspiration for Cheers. Probably some pretty bad beer, but worth it just for the nostalgia (for us old folks that watched too many episodes of that show).
beerchemist
Well-Known Member
Just show up, I guess. I unfortunately already have other plans, so it's moot for me.
The outside of that bar (on Beacon Street near the Public Garden) is the same as the one used for filming the intro to Cheers except I think the awning is no longer red.
The inside looks nothing like the inside on the show. But they did make a place to resemble the inside at Faneuil Hall.
Either way, it is kind of fun for memories sake.
The inside looks nothing like the inside on the show. But they did make a place to resemble the inside at Faneuil Hall.
Either way, it is kind of fun for memories sake.
bovineblitz
Well-Known Member
Yeah that place is awesome. Speaking of good food, my god have you been to Garden at the Cellar? I was absolutely blown away when I went there last week. It may have been the best meal I've ever had, every single thing on every single plate that was served was amazing.
You just show up. You may have an easier time meeting Sam & trying some beers in Belmont at the craft beer cellar from 4-6 before that though.
http://www.bostoncraftbeercellar.com/events.php
Also not that the OP can make it since its tomorrow not tonight, but for anyone that didnt know, Jim Koch will be giving a free talk at the Boston Public Library
http://www.bpl.org/news/calendar.htm?trumbaEmbed=view=event&eventid=92354902
No, never been. I'll have to check it out - especially with a review like that.
On another note I don't think anyone here mentioned Bukowski's Tavern? They have a place in Cambridge and a place in Back Bay near the Prudential Center. Good beer selection at the one in Cambridge at least. I have not had the food.
beerchemist
Well-Known Member
It's been mentioned, and I know Phantom Gourmet continually recommends it for the Burgers. Still haven't been there, though.
bovineblitz
Well-Known Member
Bukowski's is good if you know about the weekday buck burger which isn't on the menu. It's a pretty good burger and at $4 with toppings and fries you can't beat it. My one gripe is the prices for everything except the burger are high. The other food I've had besides the burger I'd call "acceptable bar food but way too expensive for what you get". Needless to say, SWMBO and I only go there on weekdays and when we do we're quite satisfied. The place is usually totally dead on Saturdays, at least the Cambridge one.
OP
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jturie
Well-Known Member
OK, back from Beantown. I ended up exclusively at CBC and had a fantastic time. Beertenders were great, and were constantly plying me with samples of the beers I hadn't yet ordered. Patrons very friendly also--lots of regulars hanging at the bar.
Just to flap my gums, here's my take on the beers:
Big Man Ale--IPA, had it on cask and tap. I had both, and was amazed at how different they were. I think the hand pull was Centennial dry-hopped. Both were great in their own way.
Mind left body--session IPA. Pleasant, but I prefer more hops.
Tall Tale Pale Ale--again, nice. Very similar to Mind Left Body.
Spring Training IPA--probably my favorite. They had just tapped it that day, and it still displayed a bit of chill haze. Pints were flying out of there. Real nice hop flavor and aroma, but not a hop bomb by any means. College kids probably couldn't handle the IBUs.
Regatta Golden--Kolsch-like beer. Very nice light flavor, almost no hop influence.
Project Venus--I came to CBC because of this collaboration brew (Stone and Victory's female brewers). Unfortunately, I didn't care for it. It's a Belgian dubbel with Orange blossom honey. I thought the honey overpowered the beer and made it a bit too "hot" for my taste.
Banryu Ichi--experimental sake beer (15%!), made in collaboration with a local homebrewer. Served flat. I tried a sample snort. It was really good, but by that time there was no way I could knock out a full glass and find my way back to the T.
Scotch Ale--don't even know the name, because it wasn't on sale yet. Bartender looked around warily before giving me a sample. Simply put, it was one of the best damn beers I'd ever had in my life!!! I begged him to pour me a whole pint, but he couldn't do it. You Boston guys--if you like Scotch Ale, get thee to CBC ASAP. Killer maltiness, smooth as a single malt whiskey, went down like velvet. Just amazing amazing amazing.
So...thanks again to all for the great suggestions. CBC is on my permanent Boston "IT" list.
Just to flap my gums, here's my take on the beers:
Big Man Ale--IPA, had it on cask and tap. I had both, and was amazed at how different they were. I think the hand pull was Centennial dry-hopped. Both were great in their own way.
Mind left body--session IPA. Pleasant, but I prefer more hops.
Tall Tale Pale Ale--again, nice. Very similar to Mind Left Body.
Spring Training IPA--probably my favorite. They had just tapped it that day, and it still displayed a bit of chill haze. Pints were flying out of there. Real nice hop flavor and aroma, but not a hop bomb by any means. College kids probably couldn't handle the IBUs.
Regatta Golden--Kolsch-like beer. Very nice light flavor, almost no hop influence.
Project Venus--I came to CBC because of this collaboration brew (Stone and Victory's female brewers). Unfortunately, I didn't care for it. It's a Belgian dubbel with Orange blossom honey. I thought the honey overpowered the beer and made it a bit too "hot" for my taste.
Banryu Ichi--experimental sake beer (15%!), made in collaboration with a local homebrewer. Served flat. I tried a sample snort. It was really good, but by that time there was no way I could knock out a full glass and find my way back to the T.
Scotch Ale--don't even know the name, because it wasn't on sale yet. Bartender looked around warily before giving me a sample. Simply put, it was one of the best damn beers I'd ever had in my life!!! I begged him to pour me a whole pint, but he couldn't do it. You Boston guys--if you like Scotch Ale, get thee to CBC ASAP. Killer maltiness, smooth as a single malt whiskey, went down like velvet. Just amazing amazing amazing.
So...thanks again to all for the great suggestions. CBC is on my permanent Boston "IT" list.
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